Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-24
MRS. BRAND0YF'S ELOPEMENT

Miss Mamie Du Bots had great many
suffers. 1t was generally conceded, how
ever, that only two had any chance of
winning her. Jack Minturn and Bob
BRANDON were the only ones who rode to
hounds, and as Miss Mamie was an en-
thusiastic follower of the Willow Brook
pack, her friends concluded, and quite cor
rectly, as it proved, that when she made
her choice she would become either Mrs.
Minturn or Mrs Brandon. Those who
took the trouble to form an opinion as to
which Of the two gentlemen it would he
said Jack would undoubtedly be the favor
tie one He was the handsomer, rode if
anything a trife better than his rival,
and during the fall of 1888 was temporary
Master of the Foxhounds, hunting the pack
with great skill. Moreover, he was more
of ladies' man, and quite as well fixed
as Bob financially. But at the close of the
autumn season of 1888 Miss Nannies en-
gagement to Bob was announced. The
following fall the gentleman built a num-
Der of extensions and additions to his little
hunting box, reconstructed his stables,
bought some new hunters, and for two
years he and Miss Mamie now Mrs Bran
dow, hunted even more enthusiastically
than before their marriage.
Jack Minturn went to the south of
France for the seasons of 1884 and 1885.
He told his friends that he had long
wished to try some hunting there, and
now he had an excellent opportunity. His
friends smiled Some even ventured to
openly poke fun at him.
When the Willow Brook Club met at
Delmonicos, in the midwinter of 1856,
to elect officers for the ensuing year, it was
found that Mr. Bob BRANDON and another
gentleman had set their hearts upon being
Master Of the Foxhounds, and further
more it was discovered that each felt his
claim to be of such nature that in case of
his opponents election he (the defeated
candidate) had but one course to pursue
To resign. The position was decidedly
awkward, especially as the Club was very
evenly divided about the rival candidates.
A serious break was imminent.
Now it so happened that Jack Minturn
arrived home in New York from his tenn
porary soiourn abroad on the very day of
the Willow Brook elections, and, dropping
into Delmonico's after several Intellectual
ballots had been taken, was pounced upon
by the contending factions as Il compro-
mise candidate He admitted that his
hunters were on the way across the ocean
and that he intended to hunt during the
coming year, protested that he could not
~ l. E IL 8
Master of the Foxhounds and was unani-
mously elected in the midst Of his pro-
testations. He of course accepted.
And so it came to pass that when the
frost got ont Of the ground Jack Minturn
was once more not only an active member
Of the Willow Brook, but was handling
the pack.
Bob felt not particle of resentment and
was glad to see him hunting again. Mrs.
BRANDON was delighted to see her cold
friend back She chided him prettily for
having deserted the Willow Brook for so
long, utterly ignoring the commonly con-
coded cause of his desFtion, told him
with innocence amusingly earnest how the
pack IS Rad been too fast and too slow" in
his absence, and from the beginning treated
him quite as cordially as if she had not
been the cause of his two years exile.
Jack Minturn became very attentive to
= Mrs. BRANDON. 1t was quite natural. He
was Master of the Hounds she was prob
ably the best lady rider of the club; facts
which in themselves led to certain court
estes on his part. As time went on he be-
came quite devoted, and she, to say the
least, did not discourage him.
As the season advanced Bob became, not
jealous-nobody is jealous nowadays-but
little uncomfortable. Of course, he cared
nothing about it himself He would not
have given it a thought were it not for out
siders he feared they were enjoying mental
chuckleS at his expense. This was the way
Bob argued in the spring BY fall he did
care. His views on the subject had become
more and more positive, until he had
reached a state of mind best described as
volcanic. Mrs. BRANDON may not have
been aware of his mental perturbation. She
paid no attention to it. She was young, very
young, having been married before she was
out Of her teens.
One afternoon late in October, Mr. and
Mrs. Bob BRANDON stood on the veranda OF
their hunting box waiting for the horses
10 NC brought MIS-. bTdlluOW ;
dainty form never looked daintier than
when incased in brown habit; her cheeks
were already colored by the sharp autumn
air. her deep blue eyes sparkled in antici-
patton of the afternoons sport. Altogether
she made very pretty picture, but Bob
was evidently in no mood to enjoy it. He
paced up and down with measured stride
and closely-knit brow, humping his boot
top with his crop at every step, in total
disregard of the polish so laboriously be-
slowed upon the unofiending top by the
stable boy.
Z" Kierney tells me- he finally said,
wheeling 10 q standstill before his wife,
that you have ordered Lord Bothwelrs
shoes changed tomorrow without fail. and
he said something about Minturn's riding
him on Thursday"
Mrs. BRANDON Strengthened up. She
had been sitting on the veranda rail, and
with determined tightening of her pretty
lips which was little in keeping with her
mild, almost careless tone, said looking
straight at her husband:
"Well?"
"Nell?" he repeated, II don't see why
you should supply Minturn with horses ;
if he can't run the pack with the horses he
has let him take one of the whips mounts,
or get horses enough to have spare one
when he needs it. | don't see why we
should forever be placing our stable at his
disposal. I'm tired of it." And the
speaker began to punish his boot-top
again.
" Did you wish to use Lord Boutwell, on
Thursday ?" asked his wife calmly.
"Of course not :" was the reply, in tones
of disgust. g don't care anything about
the horse It's this everlastingly taking
trouble for Minturn that object to- It's
Minturn this Minturn that, until I'm
tired of it. You know very well how at
tentive he was to you before we were mar
ried Mrs. Brandow's cheeks became a
shade roster, and her eyes lost for mo-
ment their steadinees and | think it's
decidedly bad form for him to be always
at your side, and decidedly bad form for
YOU to encourage him. You had your
choice, and could have chosen him if you
had wished, but you didn't, and now [say.